MIAMI — Seeking to play the spoiler role for the second week in a row, the Cisco (Texas) Junior College Wranglers close out their regular season with a 2 p.m. Southwest Junior College Football Conference clash with the Northeastern A&M College Golden Norsemen at Red Robertson Field.
Last week coach Dionte Dean's Wranglers won their first conference game of the season with a 20-12 upset of the Kilgore College Rangers at Kilgore's R.E. St. John Memorial Stadium.
With the victory, the Wranglers are 1-4 in the conference and 2-4 on the season. Cisco has not won two SWJCFC games in one season since 2010.
Coach Ryan Held's Golden Norsemen will recognize 35 sophomores prior to kickoff as part of Sophomore Night activities. NEO enters their final regular season home game with a 1-3 conference record and 3-4 overall.
The Wranglers return only 15 sophomores from a team, which was winless last season on the conference and 1-7 overall.
Averaging 300.8 total yards per game and 28.8 points, the Wranglers rely on the talents of sophomore Richard Lagow at quarterback.
Lagow, a redshirt sophomore transfer from Oklahoma State University from Plano, Texas, has completed 136 of 210 passes for 1,700 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions. He ranks seventh in the nation overall in passing and 11^th nationally in touchdowns,
Freshmen Larry Nixon and Jon Coss share responsibilities at running back.
Nixon, from Desoto, Texas, leads the Wranglers with 175 yards on 40 carries and one TD.
Coss, from Houston's Reagan High School, has gained 136 yards on 31 carries in four games.
Veterans Marcus Daggs and Tyler Hogan along with freshmen Devon Richardson and Chris Gardner comprise the Cisco receiving corps.
Daggs, from Waxahachie, Texas, ranks fifth in the nation with 54 receptions for 654 yards and ninth nationally with six touchdowns.
Hogan, from Rowlett, Texas, has made 34 catches for 571 yards and one TD.
Richardson, a tight end from Plano, Texas, currently has 11 receptions for 175 yards and two touchdowns.
Gardner, from Bowie High School in Arlington, Texas, has made 12 catches for 137 yards and one TD. He has also carried the ball 16 times for 123 yards and one touchdown.
"This is going to be a very difficult football game because Cisco is vastly improved over what they've been the past few years," Held said. "Historically, they've always been a pass first, then run type of team and this year is no different."
While their offense may appear to be one-dimensional statistically, their defensive unit features only three sophomores. All three start along the front line.
Defensively, Cisco is allowing 473.3 total yards per game — 306.5 yards via the pass — and an average of 45.2 points per game.
Defense 473.3 yards and 43.8 points.
Safety Deanthony Lee, a transfer from Texas A&M-Kingsville from San Antonio, leads the Wranglers defense with four unassisted tackles and 65 assists. He has returned two interceptions 43 yards while recording five tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Linebacker Michael Knobloch, from Richland High School in Fort Worth, has made 38 so tackles and 24 assists.
Another first-year linebacker, Elijah Timarky, a transfer from Harding University from Copperas Cove, Texas, has recorded 32 unassisted tackles and 14 assists.
The Wranglers defense has recorded a total of 24 quarterback sacks and 45 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.